Specialty Carbon Blacks – Food Contact and Textile Applications

Compliance with food contact regulations (European Union)

For plastics, the Regulation EU 10/2011 has harmonized the purity criteria applicable to carbon blacks used in plastics coming into contact with food, this means the same purity criteria and restrictions are applicable to carbon black in all the countries of the European Union.

We supply specialty carbon blacks that meet the requirements of Regulation EU 10/2011.

Regulation EU 10/2011 – Carbon Black

The Commission Regulation EU No 10/2011 is applicable in all the countries of the European Union.

According to § 31 of the German Food an Feed Code (Lebensmittel- und Futtermittelgesetz, LFGB) and the European Framework-Regulation VO (EC) No. 1935/2004 food contact materials may not release substances in food or its surface in quantaties that could endanger human health and/or bring about an unacceptable deterioration of the composition or the organoleptic properties (small, taste) or the appearance of food (f.e. colour).

The content of invidually regulated substances out of Carbon Black may not exceed specific limit values according to Annex l of the European Plastics Regulation VO (EU) nr. 10/2011:

Benzo(a)pyren (limit value 0.25 mg/kg carbon black)

Toluene extractable fraction (limit value 0.1%)

UV absorption of the cyclohexane at 386 nm (limit value 0.02 AU)

* note that: in the final food contact item, a maximum of 2.5% carbon black by weight is allowed

OEKO-TEX® – Standard 100

Additionally to Regulation EU 10/2011, PentaCarbon supplies the market with high-quality carbon black pigments that meet all the requirements of the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. The OEKO-TEX® Standard has been introduced as a quality assurance system for textile fibers. The OEKO-TEX® Standard is the best-known independent label worldwide for testing of harmful substances in textiles.

Accredited external labs

In accordance with the above-mentioned guidelines, test are being performed by external accredited test laboratories.

If you have any questions regarding the above mentioned or other regulations, or have any inquires, please do not hesitate to contact us.